Medical Education

The Foundation’s Medical Education program provides many opportunities for medical students, post-graduate and PhD students, registrars and health professionals.

The program aims to support experience and training for those already providing, or those aiming to provide, health services in remote and rural areas of Australia and in countries outside Australia with a clear need for medical specialist assistance.

Specialist Elective (Clinical Placements) Program

This Medical Education Program offers medical students at James Cook University (JCU) in Queensland the opportunity to spend their sixth year final term elective with a number of Canberra’s top medical specialists. This provides insight and experience in environments including operating theatres, laboratories and consulting rooms that would otherwise be difficult to access.

Specialties covered include Orthopaedics, ENT, Urology, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Anaesthetics, Intensive Care, Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Paediatrics, IVF & Fertility, Radiology and Pathology. Students are also given an introduction to medico-legal issues and have the opportunity to attend classes in anatomy.

The JCU Medical School circulates a call for applications for the program early each calendar year. Indigenous medical students are particularly encouraged to apply. Three or four students are selected each year.

The Foundation pays for each student’s return airfare between Townsville (or the other JCU Campus locations) and Canberra, shared accommodation (with the other participating students) and a shared car for the two-month duration of the program.

The value of these benefits for each student is approximately $6,000, but the experience is priceless.

John Curtin School of Medical Research

The John James Foundation sponsors a research scholarship at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University in Canberra, which provides financial assistance over a three-year period to the selected student. The Foundation has also supported other student activities and research at the John Curtin School of Medical Research.

ANU Medical School

The Foundation provides a scholarship for an Indigenous medical student at the ANU Medical School. The scholarship was first awarded in 2012 and now has its first graduate, Sean Barrett (pictured, left). In 2017 the second scholarship was awarded to science graduate Stephanie Pollard. The scholarship provides $18,000 a year and means students can focus on studying rather than having to work to support themselves at the same time.

Tony Ayers Prize for Excellence in Research in Translational Medicine

Introduced in 2014, the $5,000 Tony Ayers Prize is awarded annually to a researcher at ANU’s College of Medicine, Biology and Environment. It recognises a scientist who has made a significant contribution to translational research, moving from ‘bench to bedside’ to transform science breakthroughs into clinical application. The award is named in honour of longtime John James Hospital and Foundation Board Member Mr Tony Ayers AC who died in April 2016. The winner is also invited to present a public lecture at the award ceremony.

The graduation celebration of the James Cook University Medical Students of 2013. Special congratulations to Dr Amanda Carson, Dr Hannah Bellwood, Dr Janindu Goonawardeena and Dr Jemma Porrett who all undertook a clinical placement with the John James Foundation’s specialist doctors in 2013.

On Monday October 31 the Award for the 2016 John James Foundation Tony Ayers Prize in Translational Medicine was presented to Professor Robyn Lucas, the head of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University.

Professor Lucas presented a public lecture detailing the evidence of her work into the beneficial effects of vitamin D for sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis – ‘Shining a Light on Multiple Sclerosis’. Clinical trials based on Professor Lucas’ work are currently underway and resulting therapies may have the potential to markedly reduce the risk of developing MS. Congratulations, Professor Lucas!